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The Los Angeles Lakers are moving on in the NBA playoffs, but oddsmakers are not exactly celebrating their chances against the Oklahoma City Thunder, especially with Luka Doncic still out with a hamstring injury.

The Thunder opened as overwhelming favorites in the Western Conference semifinals. Vegas Insider listed Oklahoma City at -3000 to win the series, with the Lakers at +1200. The Game 1 outlook is not much kinder to Los Angeles: Action Network listed the Thunder as 16-point favorites, with Oklahoma City at -1200 on the moneyline and the Lakers at +725.

That is a brutal market response for a Lakers team that just eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games. Los Angeles closed the series with a 98-78 road win in Game 6, holding Houston to a season-low point total while LeBron James posted 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

The problem is the next opponent. Oklahoma City has home-court advantage, swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round and enters the matchup with far more rest than Los Angeles. OKC finished the regular season 64-18 and won four straight games against Phoenix to reach the second round.

Luka Doncic Is Not Expected To Return Soon From His Hamstring Injury

The biggest reason the odds look so lopsided is obvious: Luka Doncic’s status remains a major concern.

Doncic has been out with a left hamstring injury since April 2, when he was hurt during a blowout loss to the Thunder. NBA.com’s report from that night noted that Lakers coach JJ Redick said Doncic had an issue with the hamstring in the first half, was cleared to continue, then later left the game and was set for an MRI.

CBS Sports later reported that Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain and traveled to Spain for treatment, with that type of injury typically requiring a month or more of recovery.

The latest public signals are not especially encouraging for the Lakers. Lakers radio voice John Ireland said Doncic was “not close” and “not running yet” before Game 6 against Houston.

That matters because the Thunder are not a team the Lakers can simply grind past without elite shot creation. If Doncic misses the start of the series, Los Angeles will again need LeBron, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton to carry a heavy offensive burden against one of the NBA’s best teams.

LeBron James Continues To Put Up Huge Stats

The Lakers are still alive in large part because James has continued to carry star-level responsibility at 41 years old.

During the regular season, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for Los Angeles.

He raised that level in the first round. James averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists against Houston, and his 28-point Game 6 helped push the Lakers into the second round.

The issue is sustainability. James already had to be the Lakers’ best scorer, organizer and late-clock problem solver for much of the Houston series. Against Oklahoma City, that burden only gets heavier if Doncic is unavailable or limited.

That is what the odds are really saying. They are not just reacting to the Lakers’ seed or brand name. They are pricing in Oklahoma City’s depth, home court, rest advantage and the uncertainty around the Lakers’ best offensive player.

Lakers’ First Game Against Oklahoma City Thunder Is Tuesday

Game 1 of Lakers-Thunder is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. As of May 2, the NBA had not yet announced the official tipoff time or broadcast information for the series opener. Here is the full Lakers-Thunder schedule:

Game 1: Tuesday, May 5 — Lakers at Thunder, Paycom Center
Game 2: Thursday, May 7 — Lakers at Thunder, Paycom Center
Game 3: Saturday, May 9 — Thunder at Lakers, Crypto.com Arena
Game 4: Monday, May 11 — Thunder at Lakers, Crypto.com Arena
Game 5: Wednesday, May 13 — Lakers at Thunder, Paycom Center, if necessary
Game 6: Saturday, May 16 — Thunder at Lakers, Crypto.com Arena, if necessary
Game 7: Monday, May 18 — Lakers at Thunder, Paycom Center, if necessary

For Game 1, that means the current time-zone listing is still:

Eastern: TBD
Central: TBD
Mountain: TBD
Pacific: TBD
Broadcast/streaming: TBD

The Lakers have already beaten long odds once by getting through Houston without Doncic. The Thunder series, at least on paper and at the sportsbook, represents a much bigger ask.